HYDERABAD: Chaos reigned outside Golconda Fort on Sunday as many visitors, including those who had come from far-off places, were sent back after ticket counter officials told them that there were no ticket slots available for the day.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the situation, several guides from the Tourism Department used the opportunity to sell tickets for Rs 500 - Rs 1,000 even though the actual price of the ticket is Rs 25.
Golconda Fort is one of the popular tourist spots in the city and receives a lot of visitors on weekends. On Sunday at around 4 pm, a large number of visitors congregated outside the main entrance of the fort, trying to get the tickets.
Several visitors complained that while the fort’s security guards had kept the online ticket scanning board inside the fort premises and away from their reach, guides were brazenly selling the tickets in black outside the premises. "The guide offered us a package. He said that he would get us inside and give us a tour of the first floor of the fort for Rs 600, and if we wanted a full tour we had to pay Rs 1,000," a tourist said.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a tourist guide said, "All you have to do is give me Rs 1,000. I'll get you the entry ticket, don’t worry about the slot availability."
When questioned about the obnoxious prices, he said, "This is a fixed rate now. Getting entry inside the fort every weekend is very difficult now due to the COVID-19 situation, so either pay now or go back home."